If you find it quite easy to run a household, would you mind sharing your wisdom with me?

[Janni]

I'm starting to think it's not about how many children you have (I'm better now I've got three than when I had one), nor how much space you have (I've lived in all sorts of dwellings and struggle wherever I am). I don't think it's about whether you have a cleaner (when I did I half-killed myself shoving things in cupboards and drawers before she came). I've tried Flylady - I just spent even longer on MN.
I know all about decluttering and I don't think clutter is the problem. I'm not interested in a debate on the division of labour between partners. What I want to know is this: What do you say to yourself each day to keep on top of things? How do you do the same things over and over and not give up? How do you stay on top of things even if there are unexpected events that throw your routine out of kilter?

In short, HOW DO YOU DO IT?

I don't find chores in themselves that onerous. What I can't stand is the endless tidying up - not being able to get the hoover across the living room carpet without hitting an obstacle etc.

Having a cleaner forces me to tidy up properly and sort out all the kids' (and adults') detritus at least once a week. Then she can clean swiftly and efficiently. Once the house is tidy (and with the kids in bed), I feel I have the head space for at least one evening to do all those other tasks - bills, letters etc.

Systemsaddict - thank you for the zen habit site - that looks brilliant. Now I have given up my daily flylady emails because they made me feel completely useless, the zen site looks more achievable.

I am completely crap at housekeeping but I long for an ordered, White Company style tidy house. I am a SAHM, but I honestly think that the house would be easier to keep tidy if we were all out all day, instead of two toddlers getting thomas track then lego then happyland and leaving a trail of little bits of fruit on the floor as they go

I haven't read exactly what a robomop is yet, but I'm sure I need/want one

This thread is great.

Does anyone on here have a laundry basket with 3 sections ??? Argos used to do one, but don't seem to anymore.

CrackerofNuts - I saw one of those pop up ones in Woolworths the other day, I think. I'll have a look on their site...

Yes - here - a fiver. But everything's visible, so not sure if it's the sort of thing you want?

JackieNo, please tell me how to insert a link to a website, I have asked a couple of times but I've been ignored

PABLOP - there are instructions to the right of the box where you type your messages - basically you put the link in double square brackets. If you just put in the link, it will show the address you've pasted in there, rather than a 'description' for want of a better word. If you want to put a different description to say what the link shows, you paste in the link, followed by a space, followed by what you want the description to say. So if I'm posting another link to a laundry sorter I can put just the link in double square brackets www.amazon.co.uk/Deluxe-3-Section-Laundry-Sorter/dp/B00149AFEM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=kitchen&qid=1205 059489&sr=1-1 and it'll come up as the (rather long) address, but as a link. If I want the link to just read laundry sorter', I put the same link followed by one space, followed by the words laundry sorter inside the double square brackets, so it appears like this laundry sorter. HTH. OH, and I always preview any messages I do with links, to make sure I've done them right.

(gosh that's a long description - sorry about that - hope it hasn't confused you too much)

Wow JackieNo thats great, not confusing. Feel a bit embarrassed that the instruction was just to the right of the message box . Thankyou!

Go on - give it a try.

I think the only way to run a house & keep on top of everything is being organised & having a good routine, then if your rountine goes out of shape for a day because of something unexpected you should not leave it for days or weeks you should get it done & back up to scratch asap.

I find doing a wash load everday
washing up as yougo.
doing ironing & chaging beds once a week.
hoover everyday.
Tidy toys when there finished with.
Don't haude stuff, get rid of what you don't need.
Have a big clear out once a month.
bleach toilets every day.
make beds as soon as your up.
open windows to air the house when you get up.

just being organised & having a daily routine.

Try about once a month to choose the worst room and attack it with 3 bin bags. Clean it out and get rid.

1. recycle
2. to tip
3. charity shop

My new cleaner

Yay - it worked. Am very of your new cleaner.

Yes he does the ironing topless

I felt that as a SAHM it was harder as we make such a lot of mess through being in the house all day . Then I reminded myself that apart from washing and cooking and clearing up after food etc I do give myself the weekends off as much as possible and realised that when I was working I had to clean then.....
I am much better with children than I was without them though. I used to be SOOOO lazy and that meant cleaning was a huge effort. Now I just do it and feel great when it is done! And baby wipes are very useful for skirting boards and window sill dust....I am more neurotic about it as a SAHM though. I never even used to even look at my skirting boards.....
I do want a Roomba though as my Dyson is so heavy and difficult to manoevre. With the dog I need to hoover downstairs daily and I just can't. With a Roomba I could.....though said dog would probably eat it....

Thanks Jackie, that is a bit see through yep, and doesn't look like it would cope with the way my kids shove stuff in LOL.

CrackerofNuts - try the link in my explanation of how to do links - that's a more robust one. But more expensive.

live alone without small kids or pets

eat only take out

have no hobbies-tv watching ok. NO BOOKS.

Cleaner no 2 when Cleaner no 1 not available

Pablop - can we have his number?

I have given up.I shall never ever hope to achieve the standards of beige streamlined perfection of some peoples houses. We do dishes as we go, vacum once a day, washing twice a week, ironing twice a week, I food shop three times a week, but my house is full of sentimental clutter, kids artwork, toys, toys and more toys. It really gets me down but I cant get on top of it. I love my hobbies - reading, crafts - and I like the children having their stuff around them. How DO people maintain these homes like an MFI showroom? where the hell do they put their STUFF? PLS reveal the secret - every square inch of my home is covered in nick-nacks!

Agree with you freckly, mine is the same!

So, Pablop, you're not sharing your cleaners with us. How unsisterly

Well, this thread has been very helpful.
Here are the changes I am making.

1. Forget about spotless or perfect. Good enough will do.
2. Pick up as I go along instead of staring at things and intending to put them away later.
3. Be ruthless with clutter
4. Don't come on MN until the morning chores are done (seriously!)
5. Pick one cleaning/household management job each day, depending on what's most urgent and what I feel like doing.

Thanks everyone. You can all go over to the 'How to manage your kitchen' thread now!

Oh coming on MN before I have done my jobs is fatal. I may as well give up for the day. I was amazed how much time I had on my hands when our modem broke and we were off line for a few days .